A ceremony has taken place to celebrate the start of work on a £15 million endoscopy unit at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary.
Once complete, the new endoscopy unit will be able to treat more patients, helping to reduce waiting list and improve timely diagnosis, particularly for cancers, said the health trust which runs the infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven.
Clinical leaders from the trust were joined at the ceremony by construction partners from Ergea and Actiform and Carlisle MP Julie Minns to mark the start of the work.
The project is expected to be completed by March.
Daya Karat, consultant surgeon at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s really good news to see this project underway, as it will have such great benefits for our local communities across north Cumbria and for our staff.
“When it is up and running the new facility will have more clinic rooms that all meet modern standards that we are not able to meet in the current environment.
“Expanding our endoscopy service will help us to make faster diagnoses and meet the rising demand for the service. It also brings the unit in line with what we already have at the West Cumberland Hospital following the redevelopment in 2015.”
The Cumberland Infirmary currently has only one endoscopy room of a suitable size and two smaller rooms that do not meet national accreditation standards, the trust said.
The new unit will include five clinical rooms as well as an outpatient area. The expansion of the service also means patients currently travelling to Newcastle for a procedure can be seen in Carlisle.
Mr Karat added: “As well as a better environment for patients, the unit will also provide improved training facilities for our staff. Any vacancies we have will mainly be filled with current staff who have expressed an interested in expanding their skills.
“Moving the unit out of its current location in the main hospital also frees up space to expand other departments at the Cumberland Infirmary which is a further positive for both staff and patients.”
Mrs Minns said: “I am delighted to see this investment in facilities at the Cumberland Infirmary.
“When the unit is finished it will be an important step forward for this hospital and a key step towards bringing down waiting lists locally.
“Waiting for appointments and test results is a stressful time for everyone so I was pleased to hear from staff today how this new unit will help expand the Infirmary’s endoscopy service and ultimately lead to faster diagnoses and reduced waiting times.
“It is important that the Cumberland Infirmary continues to provide the first-rate services on a par with other regions. Investments like this will be a big help in ensuring we have a healthier population around Carlisle and North Cumbria which is one of the key challenges we face over the next few years.”
While work is underway, hoarding is up which is blocking access on the path to and from the hospital from the main car park. Visitors, patients and staff are asked to use the zebra crossing to the opposite side of the road and not walk on the road for their own safety.
